Preview: Liverpool Acoustic Festival – 20th & 21st March 2015

Academy award-winner to headline Liverpool Acoustic Festival 2015

Multi award-winner (Academy, Grammy, Tony, Olivier, LA Film Critics, Critics Choice awards) and star of Academy award-winning and critically acclaimed 2006 film Once, Marketa Irglova is set to headline and close this year’s Liverpool Acoustic Festival at Unity Theatre.

Having co-starred with the award-winning Glen Hansard in Once and 2011’s follow-up acclaimed film, The Swell Season, Irglova has gone on to record two albums, with her most recent MUNA hailed as ‘Beautiful, bonkers and often rather brilliant’ by The Independent, and tour the world with cult, folk/rock band Iron and Wine.

Along with critically-acclaimed Irish duo The Lost Brothers, Liverpool guitar virtuoso Neil Campbell, over 20+ upcoming and established artists, workshops and masterclasses, live DJ sets, record fair and much more, Liverpool Acoustic Festival returns in March 2015 showcasing the very best in Liverpool, national and international acoustic music.

Liverpool Acoustic will be hosting a stage each day as part of this year’s festival, featuring former Ratty Little Fingers member Katy McGrath, Acoustic Dustbowl co-hosts The Southbound Attic Band, exciting Chester duo ME and Deboe, and energetic singer-songwriter Kevin Critchley.

Liverpool Acoustic’s artists will also be taking part in the two Q&A sessions about songwriting along with other festival acts, with this year’s focus being on songs with stories in them.

Be a part of an ambitious and exciting music event in Liverpool’s best-loved, small scale venue.

A unitytheatre event

Funded by Arts Council England & Liverpool City Council
Supported, sponsored and partnered with Bido Lito, Liverpool Acoustic, Liverpool Live TV & One Fell Swoop
Design by Red Bear Design
Created and programmed by Paul Dunbar & Unity Theatre

More info: unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk | 0844 873 2888

• Event: Liverpool Acoustic Festival
• Date: Friday 20th & Saturday 21st January 2015
• Venue: Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, Liverpool
• Tickets: from unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk
  Friday 20th March | 5pm – 11pm | £14
  Saturday 21st March | 2pm – 11pm | £22
  Weekend Pass | £32
• Details of all Liverpool Acoustic music events can be found at liverpoolacoustic.co.uk/live

 

---

 

Friday 20th March

MAIN STAGE & LLTV STAGE

Neil Campbell
Drawing on elements of classical, rock and jazz, Neil has performed on many acclaimed albums with Jon Anderson (Yes), Sense of Sound Singers, Anne Taft (Ghost Stories) and many more. He’s also supported Thea Gilmore, Jan Ackerman (Focus), Victor Wooten, Davey Graham and Courtney Pine.

Natalie McCool
Winner of Female Artist of the Year (Liverpool Music Awards) and with echoes of Jeff Buckley and PJ Harvey, Natalie has gained acclaim from BBC 6 Music, Radio 2 and Mojo magazine describing her live performance as ‘spectral’. Natalie recently record a live 4 track EP in London’s Abbey Road Studios.

Silent Cities
Silent Cities combine crisp acoustic sounds, a sense of deep layers and that soaring, vulnerable vocal to create minutes of tender, troubled beauty. With influences from Bon Iver to John Martyn, Silent Cities weave together beautiful vocal and acoustic melodies, culminating in a slick, emotive sound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoPqUI6-Gdg

Alexandra Jayne
Having had her music played on BBC Radio, Alexandra has spent three years in Liverpool playing regularly, gaining her a legion of fans. She won the Liverpool Acoustic Songwriting Challenge and since then has gone from strength to strength, landing a support slot with James Blunt on his recent UK arena tour.

Thom Morecroft
Thom Morecroft is a multi-award winning and critically-acclaimed solo acoustic artist, based in Liverpool. His distinctive voice, and well-crafted songs have earned him a solid reputation as a great live performer and has had extensive national radio play.

Ryvers
Drenched in harmonies and sweet melodies, Ryvers combine ambient, melodic tones with beautifully crafted songs. The sound has dramatic depth and feel reminiscent of early Sinead O’Connor and other great sounds of the 80’s with a modern edge. With other influences including Daughter, Bon Iver, Warpaint and London Grammar Shannen Bamford’s beautifully soft, delicate vocals glide over sweeping acoustic and electric guitars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjT6WlCy0sM

Rosenblume
Folk/ Americana troubadour ‘Rosenblume’ a singer/ songwriter oozing with honesty. Hailing from Liverpool with his rich acoustic sounds and a bluesy, velvet tone to his voice ‘Rosenblume’ is set to release his self recorded debut EP in April 2015.

 

LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC STAGE

The Southbound Attic Band
The Southbound Attic Band is singer/songwriter Barry Jones and Ronnie Clark. Their guitar, harmonica, bass and vocal harmony combination create Celtic flavoured acoustic Americana with an English folk rock sensibility and catchy melodic songs with a dark edge.

Katy McGrath
The voice, guitarist and brain-child behind Liverpool-based acoustic/pop/folk outfit The Ratty Little Fingers. With a knack for writing great hooks and a great powerful voice Katy McGrath strikes out on her own and stands out from the crowd with a unique blend of rootsy folk with pop sensibility. A real talent and one to watch.

 

---

 

Saturday 21st March

MAIN STAGE & LLTV STAGE

Marketa Irglova
Marketa Irglová is an Academy and multi award-winning (Best Original Song from 2006 film Once) musician and actor from Czech Republic. Marketa is co-founder of the band The Swell Season along with the acclaimed and award-winning, singer-songwriter and co-star of Once, Glen Hansard.

Bido Lito! present… The Lost Brothers
The band appeared at the BBC Electric Proms along with Glastonbury and SXSW festivals. Then in 2011, they travelled to Nashville and recorded with Brendan Benson (The Raconteurs). Members of Old Crow Medicine Show andThe Cardinals where their backing band for the recording.

Xander and the Peace Pirates
Having enjoyed support slots with Bon Jovi, Buddy Guy, Eric Bibb and Joe Bonamassa, the band landed an endorsement by Gibson, Roland and BOSS and have made a big splash on both sides of the Atlantic with respected musicians and producers such as Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Who) who’s in line to produce their forthcoming album.

Liverpool Acoustic present… Jo Bywater
Liverpool-based singer-songwriter Jo Bywater assumes the from of an innovative and inspired musical force. Rhythmic, tactile, rockin’, poetry with an acoustic-blues sound. Jo has played extensively across the UK at festivals like Folkstock, London Folk and Roots Festival, Liverpool Music Week, Threshold Festival and Liverpool International Music Festival.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR69LTFSdDo

Gonzala
Californian singer/songwriter, Cody Randall is Gonzalla. Blending pop, folk and roots music, Gonzalla lift sounds of the 60’s and combine them with a modern edge of pop sensibility. Having enjoyed multiple support slots at some of the UK’s most prestigious venues, don’t miss this amazing artist.

Richard Batty
With influences ranging from The Beatles, Big Star and Crowded House,Richard blends a sound of folk/rock/acoustic with soaring melodies. Richard has been performing for over 10 years and penned his first song at age 15, resulting in landing a residency at the world famous Cavern Club in Liverpool. He has just finished recording his debut mini-album which was mastered at Abbey Road Studios, London.

She Drew The Gun
Liverpool based She Drew the Gun is being compared to those in the literary world as much as those in the music world. With lyrics that tell stories of love, loss, regret and new beginnings, its easy to see the pull towards the poetic, so expect reverb tinged riffs, left of field chordplay and a voice that comes from heart to ear.

Paul Straws
Paul Straws is a multi-instrumental with influences from Tom Waits, Neil Young, Radiohead and Fleetwood Mac and uses a range of instruments to record including mandolin, ukulele and cello. Paul has been lauded for his ‘great songwriting’ (Tom Robinson, BBC6 Music) and has enjoyed support slots with Newton Faulkner, Ed Harcourt and Maximo Park, also performing at Glastonbury and Wembley Stadium.

Ellie Smith
18 year-old Liverpool based singer songwriter. Ellie combines beautiful melodies with a sweet and whistful voice with folk/pop stylings to present a sound reminiscent of Eva Cassidy and Laura Marling. She performs extensively in and around Liverpool at venues like Zanzibar, Parr Street Studio 2 and the world famous Cavern Club.

Dave O’Grady
With influences of Foy Vance and The Black Crowes, Dublin-born Dave O’Grady produces a whiskey-soaked, dusty road, Americana sound reminiscent of Creedence Clearwater Revival and what with a brand new album, produced by Rich Robinson (The Black Crowes) on the way and his relentess UK and US touring, don’t miss the chance to catch this amazing artist up close and personal.

LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC STAGE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKus7qrsHWQ

ME and Deboe
Their music has placed band members Mercy Elise and Sarah Deboe on both a national and international Stage this past year. Completing a successful tour of Canada and America, the award winning duo have been on a non- stop tour across the UK and overseas in Paris and Spain. Their latest Acoustic EP “Here They come” was mastered by Frank Arkwright at Abbey Road Studios and is available for a limited time.

Kevin Critchley
Acoustic/folk/rock singer-songwriter from Liverpool. With influences of Bruce Springsteen and Ryan Adams, Kevin supported Seth Lakeman, Ian McNabb, Amsterdam, Sharon Corr, James Walsh (star sailor), Mark Morriss (Bluetones) and opened up the 2012 Chester Rocks Festival main stage and headlined the Liverpool Acoustic stage at Threshold Festival 2014.

 

---

 

 

Official Partners

Bido Lito!
Official Media Partner

Bido Lito! special event:
DJ set | Sat 21 March

Bido Lito! is the music magazine for a new Liverpool.

Their musical legacy and history in this city is rightly lauded and celebrated, however Bido Lito! is for Merseyside’s music makers and revelers of today.

Launched in June 2010, they launched a physical magazine, a pink-paged ‘old-school inky’ and the publication has been produced every month since.

In October 2011, they expanded by launching a website, which acts as a platform to complement and accentuate the work of the magazine.

Liverpool Acoustic
Official Partner

Liverpool Acoustic Stage:
Fri 20 & Sat 21 March

Liverpool Acoustic started life in April 2008 as a website supporting the vibrant and exciting acoustic music scene in Liverpool and the Greater Merseyside area. In February 2009 owner Graham Holland joined forces with local musician Stuart Todd to launch Liverpool Acoustic Live. This double award winning event takes place once a month in Mathew Street’s View Two Gallery and features three or four of the best acoustic performers, singer-songwriters, bands and musicians on the local scene today performing alongside top-class national and international musicians.

Other events include Liverpool Acoustic Presents, Liverpool Acoustic Afternoon, the annual Liverpool Acoustic Songwriting Challenge, and the weekly Liverpool Acoustic Open Mic at Sound Food and Drink.

Liverpool Live TV
Official Partner

Liverpool Live TV Stage:
Fri 20 & Sat 21 March

Liverpool Live TV is a not for profit social enterprise committed to bringing you the best quality web entertainment in the North West, supporting upcoming musicians and artists, while offering valuable work experience for people interested in a career in media.

At this year’s festival, Liverpool Live TV will host LLTV stage, showcasing some of the best upcoming and established Liverpool artists around today, with live sessions, performances and interviews the LLTV stage will be a great resource and opportunity to discover local talent.

---

 

Contact Details

For images and interviews please contact:

> Sam Freeman | Marketing Manager | samfreeman@unitytheatre.co.uk | 0151 702 7362
> Paul Dunbar | Marketing Officer | pauldunbar@unitytheatre.co.uk | 0151 709 650
> For more press information visit: unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk/press.html

 

>>>

Preview: Liverpool Acoustic Festival – 20th & 21st March 2015